The real problem of gambling in Italy is not consumption, but its possible abuse or unregulated use. The game constitutes an important flywheel for the Italian economy and employment, representing about 1,1% of GDP and guaranteeing more than 150 direct and indirect jobs.
This is what emerges from the 2017 Report on “Social perception of gambling in Italy”, presented on the morning of 11 May at the LUISS Guido Carli. The work, coordinated and supervised by the professors of the Roman university Luciano Monti and Fabio Marchetti, was born from the strong synergy created between the Bruno Visentini Foundation and the Spanish Fundacion FALL, which, mirroring what happened in Rome, made use of the help of the Carlos III University of Madrid.
The report debunks numerous clichés that are now part of the collective imagination; many think that 'problem gamblers' account for the majority of gamblers, and that therefore gambling has a negative influence on the community. From the Report it is noted instead that beyond the 44% of citizens aged between 18 and 75 have gambled at least once in the last year, and of this figure only 0,9% should be considered problematic.
Like Gustav Visentini – President of the Foundation – highlighted during the press conference to present the Report, the real problem linked to gambling lies in finding the right balance between profit and ethics. It is not the game itself that creates negativity, but rather the context surrounding the game itself.
"Gaming is not prohibited, it is legally indifferent" - said Visentini - and for this reason what is needed is hard work at a regulatory and legislative level that aims to limit illegal gaming and illegal online platforms. The vast majority of citizens have a serene relationship with the game despite the cultural and territorial diversity.
Let's now go into the detail of the report, highlighting the most interesting data. The analysis – edited with the collaboration of IPSOS – was made at a territorial, gender, age and social level of physical and online gaming. They were interviewed, by telephone and online, 1600 Guests.
It is not true that the least educated and those at risk of social exclusion are the most inclined to gamble. In fact, the data shows that the majority of people who play are graduates or graduates and belong to a medium-high social status. Furthermore, no significant differences emerged in the distribution of the number of players between northern and southern Italy.
It also emerged that i Scratch & Win constitute the type of legal and physical game more widespread in our country (62,8%) followed by Superenalotto (31,2%) and Lotteria Italia. Only 2,2% of the interviewees declared that they had also occasionally played the Slot Machines.
Spotlight on the evolution and possible negative implications of illegal online game (casinos and bets) which widely exploit the technological dimension of the remote channel to escape the preventive measures implemented by the Italian legislation.
In conclusion, therefore, from the Report - which being in the first edition represents only a snapshot of the analyzed context - it emerges that Play and Development are not in contradiction with each other, as they can be considered a component of well-being.
